Ag Lags Economy Despite a trade war, a government shutdown, Brexit, declines in factory output and consumer spending plus other worries, the stock market had its best first quarter since 1998. And agricultural commodities? Of the nearly 100 financial instruments (stock indices, currencies, commodity futures, etc.) tracked by the Wall Street Journal, farm commodities made up nearly 20 percent of the losers in the first quarter and just 3.6 percent of the winners. Last week wasn’t much better as ag was 6.45 percent of the losers and showed no gainers. Yet, economic policy uncertainty is at its second-highest level in decades (see graph below), and it is at a record high in China. But should it be? There is a credit crunch, but with lo...
What You Need to Know Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro despite trailing in the first round of voting. The surprise victory triggered a sharp selloff in Brazilian financial market...
The 2026 midterm elections are a week from tomorrow, but early voting has been taking place for weeks. At stake is control of Congress, including the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are contested, and the Senate, where approximately one-third of the seats are up for election. Farm...
Key Takeaways: Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.